Archive for Lifestyle

The other night I had the greatest catch-up with my dear, dear friend Laura. We chatted for four hours straight about everything under the sun from Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean Into how amazing these Trader Joe’s Chocolate Sunflower Seeds are. First of all, count on Laura to have the best of the best in her pantry. The Green & Black’s Mint Dark Chocolate was exquisite. Rarely do a I find a store bought bar of dark chocolate to be that delightful. That said, it had some serious competition.

The Chocolate Sunflower Seeds were the most addictive and delicious little morsels of joy. They’re sweet, nutty, and fun to eat with their jubilant colors and varying sizes. And since I avoid artificial ingredients, I was glad to see that the bright colors were derived from natural sources like Paprika and beets.

That said, there is such a thing as eating too many (as I’m apt to do), and I ended up with an unequivocal tummy ache. Awe, yes, now I remember why I never buy Chocolate Sunflower seeds. If you can practice control around these tempting treats, they’re a totally fun indulgence to share with a friend.

In case you missed this HealthyDarling.com post, I’ve been pretty excited about the launch of my friend’s site, HealthyBatch.com. Healthy Batch is a flash sales site (like Fab) that features organic products at discounted rates. Amazing! I immediately ordered these Chocolate Nut Munchbites and they arrived the very next day. What What?!

The order came with all three flavors- Omega Munch, Maple Nut Munch, and Coco-nut Munch. All of the selections are Fair Trade 75% dark chocolate, and contain protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Additionally, they are soy-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Wow.

With their deep, dark chocolate and refined ingredients, these bites are definitely suited for a sophisticated palette. While they’re not the most decadent dessert in the world, I have to give 5-cherries for making something so historically sinful, both delicious and healthy.

YEA!!!! Today I’m flying to New Orleans to watch the 49ers go the distance at the Super Bowl- How exciting! Good thing this isn’t the early 2000s, or else I’d be bummed I was missing the Britney Spears commercials (ha). While I won’t be attending any home parties this year, I still recommend these darling Chocolate Covered Strawberries. These treats are festive, delicious, and practically a health food compared to the other items that abound at Super Bowl parties.

AhhhH! Ohmygod!!!! I was DYING when my husband surprised me with this special Birthday Cake. Just look at how darling, cute, and adorable it is! To explain, this is a photo of our dog, dressed up as a seal. Best part? There is glitter on Charlie’s little outfit! Yes, leave it to Cake and Art (2011 Golden Cherry winner: see here) in West Hollywood to add that extra touch of magic.

Cake and Art’s signature vanilla frosting with a hint of amaretto is totally delicious. However, the gluten free cake is still a work in progress. I know they’ve been tinkering with some recipes, but I’m not sure they’ve hit the money spot yet. Making Gluten Free cake is no easy challenge, but I know Cake and Art will rise to the occasion and get it perfect soon. The flavor was great, but the consistency was too dry and firm. That said, I still adore this cake bakery to smithereens. I mean, there’s Glitter on my dog!

Every holiday season I look forward to these Spiced Rum Balls at my brother’s house. Luckily, his wife is not only a fabulous cook, but also a great recipe blogger! These no-bake goodies take 30 mins to prep, 30 mins to make, and are fun to roll and eat! Click here for the recipe on CookingSF!

Now that the turkey feast is behind us, it’s time to pray for snow! What better way to pay homage to the Gods of Snow than with these darling Snowmen Pops. I adore these treats for a few reason: they are-

How splendid do these Gingerbread Pumpkin Bars with cream cheese frosting look?! The pumpkin makes it a perfect Thanksgiving treat while the Gingerbread nicely transitions you to the Christmas spirit. Plus, with ingredients like pumpkin (vitamin A!), spices (healing benefits), oats (um, fiber?) you can kind of justify eating these… right?? Er, just go with it.

Yummers, this Pumpkin French Toast by Edible Perspective looks amazing. That said, I would so be using real eggs and milk instead of that flax-water vegan shiz (though I’m happy for all the spared chickdees in Edible’s version).

To see the recipe for this titillating fall dessert (breakfast?), click here.